We’ve been in the news a lot lately; we’ve had several new worksites unionize and we’ve been part of a very unpopular job action by Air North’s flight attendants. We thought we’d provide a bit of truth against the mythology that we are out there in Yukon communities with our thugs, stirring up trouble uninvited.

We are gratified and proud that so many Yukon workers have chosen to come to YEU when faced with workplace problems they can’t solve. We are proud that workers from across the territory have chosen to approach us asking for help. That’s how it works, they call us. They. Call. Us. And when their collective agreements are negotiated, guess what? THEY decide which issues matter to them, and they tell US what they need.

And good for them. Thank heavens they do. We’ve seen some pretty powerful examples lately of what happens when workers don’t have the support they need to make things right in their workplaces. We’d love to tell you that workers no longer need unions… that is surely not the case now and we don’t see it as a likelihood in the near future.

We’ve heard it all; unions have no purpose anymore; everything unions achieved in the past is now enshrined in legislation so we don’t need them. That’s funny, considering how free-wheeling this government has been with legislation. Nothing is set in stone in Canada these days… just ask a scientist, a pensioner or a veteran. Unions are too political; why doesn’t anyone say that about corporations? We’re fighting for YOU, for your rights and your salary, your healthcare, your children’s education, your freedoms, your choices, your equity and your future. Corporations spend millions lobbying for their interests… they’re not spending that money on anything to benefit you or your kids, period.

So there you see folks. Our budget for agitation and organization of new units is a big fat zero. The number of staff members at YEU dedicated to the purpose of ensnaring unsuspecting workers is also a big fat zero. These workers are signing up for the same reasons workers have always unionized. Strength in numbers is not a slogan, it’s a fact. Get the facts.

You have questions? We have time. Call us at 667-2331. Email President Steve Geick at sgeick@yeu.ca or if you want, Call Steve at 867-335-2631!

If you’re a member of YEU, chances are that’s an accident. You got a job in a “union shop” where workers had already decided to unionize, often many years before you were hired. As a new employee you were given a union card to sign and a Collective Agreement – your contract with those who write your paycheque. Maybe you signed the card and mailed it to the union, maybe you didn’t. Either way, because of where you work you are unionized. You pay union dues and are protected by a collective agreement whether you think about it or not. Maybe you think it’s great to have a union job; better pay, better working conditions and probably a pension. Maybe you don’t give union membership a thought; you get a newsletter now and again and every few years someone tries to get you out to a contract ratification meeting. Whatever; sometimes you notice, sometimes you don’t.

What does it mean to be a union member if you don’t really care one way or another? Is union membership something you identify with? Do you consider yourself “union”? Many of our members don’t like to think of themselves as “union”. We’re curious about that. We’re curious about the kind of disinterest that allows some to accept all the benefits of membership on the one hand while disassociating on the other or worse, calling out unions as bad or selfish, greedy or political. Most of the advantages we take for granted are the direct result of union membership. We’re not talking about the historical gains of unions long ago but the actions of your union representatives now – every day, every year and through every single round of bargaining. The contract you enjoy is the result of an ongoing act of will – a series of determined actions by colleagues whose names you don’t know. Maybe you do know who they are, in fact, but because they’re “union” you don’t associate too closely with them.

Look around the country at what’s happening to unionized workers at every level of the professional and pay scale. If you pay attention to what’s been happening in to the teachers in BC or to fast food industry workers, bullied and pushed around by huge multinationals making billions in profit you can see that those with the money hold the power. The tide of profitability will carry away workers who are not organized. Being organized, being in a union is the only real power available to workers. Solidarity is not just a song… it’s an adhesive force that allows workers the strength to hold on to what they’ve got. Don’t think for a minute that the benefits you enjoy as a union member would continue unchanged if unions suddenly evaporated. What would possess any employer to willingly eat into their bottom line with the kind of pay and benefits unions have secured?

If you disagree with labour’s political agenda it’s important to think that through. The labour movement IS political by its very nature. The labour movement has had to be a political force since the very first collective was formed. Then as now, no business owners wanted unions to gain a foothold. Intense pressure was put on governments to staunch workers’ power a hundred years ago and that pressure has only intensified.

Business interests, corporations, commercial advocacy groups and industry lobbyists work the political system hard to ensure their way is clear. Legislation is constantly being changed, tweaked or neutered so big business can keep making big money. They have millions, even billions of dollars to advance their agendas. Unions have to fight back.

Labour will continue to be political; YEU/PSAC will continue to be political because it’s all we’ve got. We must push lawmakers and legislators to keep the needs of workers, of average Canadian families on their collective radars. We won’t tell you who we think you should vote for. We WILL support candidates and parties whose platforms promote workers’ rights. We WILL call out and challenge those parties & officials who ignore the rights of Canadian workers. If Labour stepped out of politics completely, the loudest voices governments would hear would be the strident and insistent demands of those who already have all the power in this country; the corporations.

Maybe you feel your dues shouldn’t go to support any political activity by your union. Maybe you don’t want to read about it in your newsletter or see your union involved in political action in the community. We respect your opinion. We also respect your right to a strong Collective Agreement, to collective bargaining rights and to a decent pension. So we will continue to agitate, advocate and work on behalf of Canadian workers. Labour will continue to push against laws that strip away protections and undermine the ability of unions to ensure our members jobs and lives are protected.

You may not be “union” but if you enjoy a union paycheque, union benefits and the security of a negotiated contract, guess what? Even those members who aren’t “union” – we’ll keep right on fighting for you too.

Rally and March to protect Health & Safety legislation for workers

PSAC will march in support of strong worker protection and Health & Safety legislation. Join us 11:45 am Friday June 7th as we march from the Kwanlin Dun Cultural Centre to a rally in Shipyards Park at the site of the new Worker’s Memorial.